Because of a Rose
by Catkin thief
Summary: This was a story idea I came up with while watching the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast with my cousins. It may seem a bit odd but give it a try and see what you think. The main characters are listed below, but more may appear as the story goes on. Rated T because I'm terrified of underrating.
1. Chapter 1

The Beauty and the Beast

Clara lived in a small mountain town. Her and her father had moved here after her mother's death, and in nine years it had barely changed. Her father had shut himself away in their small cottage, studying. He was still trying to cope with the loss of her mother, so in defence he had shut himself away from the world, from anything that reminded himself of his beloved wife. Clara had taken to wandering aimlessly through the surrounding forest, meadows and mountains, looking for something more to life than this.

One day, Clara had wandered further than she was wont to, and soon she found herself increasingly uneasy. This deep in the mountains, wolves and worse roamed at will, and the weather appeared to be worsening. She was just about to turn back, and try to find her way home, when she saw the castle. It perched on the side of a mountain, and looked dark and foreboding. She hesitated, unsure of whether to ask for shelter or not, when she heard the howl of a wolf behind her. Clara wasn't afraid of much, but she wasn't silly either, and young town girls didn't survive encounters with a wolf pack. She headed towards the castle. The gates were open, like they were expecting visitors, but there were no lights on in the castle. The door was open as well.

Clara entered nervously. "Hello?" she called. "Is anyone there? I'm being chased by a wolf pack, I was wondering if I could stay here? Hello?"

Someone was watching her from the shadows. She was fairly short, dressed in a plain dress and sensible shoes. Her brown hair was pulled back in a pony tail, and her eyes were bright and curious.

"Hello?" she called again. A pale wraith flitted infront of her.

"Leave," the wraith whispered. "Get out while you can."

"What?" Clara asked.

"Get out," the wraith said. "Or you'll end up like us."

"Who are you?"

"My name was Rose. There is a terrible curse on this place. You must leave!"

"I can't. There's a wolf pack after me." Rose sighed. "They all say that. And it's all my fault."

"What happened?" Clara asked, but Rose never got to answer.

"She did." The silent watcher strode forwards, far enough forwards that Clara could see the shape of the man, but not so that she could see his face. He was tall, wearing a tweed coat, and a pair of trousers with red suspenders. Round his neck she could just see a bow tie.

"Who are you?" Clara asked, pretending she wasn't afraid.

"They call me the Oncoming Storm, the Destroyer of worlds, the Warrior, the Lord Victorious. As to who I am, I don't know anymore." Clara shuddered. She's heard of him. The villagers called him the Beast, as many of the village girls had disappeared over the years, and everyone said that the Beast had taken them.

"You may stay the night," the Beast said, leading Clara through the halls of his castle. "But you cannot leave."

"Why?"

"There is a spell on this place, once someone has entered they may never leave. I am as much a victim as you here."

"That girl, Rose, you said it was her fault."

"Partly. It was my fault really. I made a terrible mistake, and now we are all paying the price." He stopped before a door. "You may stay here." Clara opened the door and he turned to leave.

"Wait," Clara called. "What mistake, what did you do wrong?"

"I made the most terrible mistake a man can make."

"What mistake?" He sighed.

"I fell in love."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Sorry it's taken me so long to update (I seem to be saying that a lot lately) but it's the last day of school tomorrow (finally!) so i should be able to update more regularly after that. I'm not entirely sure about how I portrayed the Doctor in this chapter, so please review and tell me what you think.**

* * *

Clara sat on the bed in a daze. What did he mean, he fell in love? How was that a mistake? And why couldn't she leave?

"Hello," a voice said. Clara jumped and spun around. Standing behind her was another wraith.

"Oh, sorry," Clara said. "I didn't realise you were in here."

"That's all right, it's nice to have someone to talk to." The woman wandered over to Clara and sat next to her on the bed. She was taller than Clara with curly blonde hair and a sad look in her eyes. "I'm River, by the way. River Song. Who are you?"

"Clara. What happened? Clara asked. "Why are you all here?"

"It's a long story," River said sighing.

"I'm not going anywhere." River laughed.

"All right then. It started a long time ago, when the Beast, as he is known now, was just a young man. He used to be called the Doctor, and he saved the world more times than I know. He was kind and generous, and he still is, underneath. But anyway. One day, he met a young girl called Rose. He saved her life, and she stayed with him for a while."

"He said he fell in love," Clara remembered.

"Yes. A terrible mistake he calls it. We wouldn't be here if he hadn't fallen in love. So, they loved each other very much, but one day, when there was a big battle, Rose was killed. The Doctor was furious, and for the first time, the other side of his nature was seen, the one we know him by now. There was a sorceress in that battle, and she was terrified of this side of him, for the rage of a good man is a terrible thing, so she cast a spell that transported him here, and here he will stay until he learns to love again. Many girls have come, but if they cannot heal him within a year then they fade away. Only myself, Rose and one other, Amy, still retain this much of our form. Amy and I because we are the most recent and Rose because she cannot bear to leave." Clara felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"So I have a year, and then I'll die?"

"Yes."

"What happened to the others? The ones who faded?"

"They're still here, but you can only hear and see them if you concentrate. Martha stays in the kitchen mostly and Donna stays outside. She hates it in here."

Clara sat, dumbstruck. Was this what was going to happen to her? Was this her future? River smiled sympathetically. "It's a lot to take in, I know. I'll leave you to think about it." She faded away, leaving only a faint scent of her presence.

* * *

The next morning, Clara decided to explore the castle. She really wanted to find the kitchen, as she was starving, but a bathroom would be nice as well. There was no sign of River or Rose, or any of the others that River had mentioned, but Clara assumed that was just because they all haunted specific places. She eventually found the rooms she wanted, but she continued to wander the corridors, munching on the sandwich she'd made herself. Eventually, she found herself in front of a set of double doors. Since nothing bad had come of her opening doors earlier in her search, she decided that she may as well have a look inside. After all, what harm ever came from opening a door?

She opened the door carefully and went in. It looked like a bedroom, but it was barely recognisable as one. It looked like someone had deliberately tried to destroy everything they owned. Bow ties, all manner of hats, books and other strange items littered the floor. She walked as carefully as she could, trying not to break anything as she looked around. On the wall directly in front of her was a picture of a laughing blonde girl that Clara recognised as Rose. It was the only thing that had remained untouched by whatever storm had raged throughout the rest of the room. _The rage of a good man is a terrible thing..._ River's words came back to her and Clara shivered. She had a feeling she knew whose room this was.

"What are you doing here?" the words were harsh, even cruel. Clara jumped and turned around. The Beast had come into the room.

"I was exploring," Clara said defensively. "You didn't say I couldn't." She looked at the Beast, trying to gauge his mood. "Is that Rose?" she asked even though she knew it was, as she wanted to see his reaction.

"Yes." One word, so full of emotion. "I couldn't save her, I couldn't save any of them."

"It wasn't your fault, sometimes people just die, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"What would you know of it?"

"More than you'd think," Clara snapped, stung by his comment. "You're not the only one to lose someone close to you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." He sighed. "I seem to hurt people even when I don't mean to, I guess it's just a part of who I am." He straightened and looked at Clara. For the first time, she saw that his eyes were so old and weary, they looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. "You should probably leave. It's not safe in this castle."

"There's a wolf pack outside the gates."

Something else seemed to take hold of him, and he gave a low, mocking laugh. "Are you afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, little Clara?" Clara backed away from him, slightly scared by this change in him. "Run, run, run, as fast as you can," he continued, still in that mocking voice. "Oh yes, you are scared, aren't you? Go on then, run, see how far you can get." His mocking laughter filled the air as she fled.

* * *

"He's mad," she said to River, later that evening, back in the safety of her own room. "His whole personality changed all of a sudden, like he was someone else."

"Yeah," River sighed. "He was a bit like that when I was alive, but not as bad. It's the guilt, it's eating away at him."

"Why?"

"Have you ever heard of survivor's guilt?" Clara shook her head. "He feels guilty for surviving, he feels that he should have died in Rose's place, and that she should've lived." Clara nodded, but something else was occupying her thoughts now.

"How did he know my name?"

"Pardon?"

"When he was talking to me, he called me Clara, but I never told him my name."

"He heard me and Amy talking last night," River admitted. "I was telling her about you. He normally doesn't listen to us, it hurts him too much, but he listened then."

"He always listens, and he can always hear us, even Donna and Martha, faded as they are." Clara and River turned to see Rose standing behind them. She came and sat on the bed next to them, smiling sadly. "Even when I was with him, he had his ghosts. Sarah Jane, Jo Grant, Harry Sullivan, Susan, the Brigadier. I could only hear and see them if they wanted me to, but he could always hear them."

"Why?" Clara asked. "Why does he have all of you hanging around?" Rose and River exchanged a glance.

"Ask him." Rose said finally. "It's best if he tells it in his own words."

* * *

**I love the idea of the Doctor's old friends being his 'ghosts' as they do seem to hang above his head, as if he's aware of every one he's lost... but shush, spoilers!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

When Clara asked the Beast who the ghosts were, he was silent and for a second she was thought he wouldn't answer. Finally, he sighed. "They are my fallen friends. All the ones that I failed to save."

"But why do they haunt you?"

"Because I failed them. If I had tried harder, or run faster or worked somwthing out just a little quicker then they would be here today."

"You can't save everybody," Clara said.

"No," he agreed. "But I could've tried."

"You did try," Clara replied. "You did everything you could to save them."

"Why would you think that?" the Beast snapped.

"Because you care for your friends deeply. You wouldn't be here if you didn't, and if you cared for all your friends as much as you did for Rose then you would have done everything you could to save them."

"I could have done more."

"You did your best, that's all that's ever asked of you."

"My best wasn't enough. People still died."

"You can't perform miricales." He rounded on her, angry.

"Don't you see? I should have been able to save them, I should have been better. They called me 'Doctor' their word for wise man and healer. They expected me to be better than them. I should have been able to live up to their expectations." He turned away, his anger gone as suddenly as it had appeared. "I wasn't good enough for them. I was never good enough. I didn't deserve friends like that. This is where I belong. Where I can't hurt anyone." Clara stared at him for a moment.

"No one belongs here. You just need to accept that you did the best you could for them, otherwise you'll never get out." He wouldn't meet her eyes, this man who believed that he deserved to live like this. He still couldn't accept that he deserved a normal life. Impulsively Clara hugged him, wanting to comfort him. He was such a lonely man, and no one deserved to always be alone. Hesitantly, as though he couldn't remember how, he hugged her back.


End file.
